The present invention relates to a method of operating a fluid container arrangement, and to a fluid container arrangement.
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
A fluid container arrangement has a fluid container with an interior space in which fluid is present at a certain fill level. The fill level relates hereby, for example, to the filling height of the fluid in the fluid container and/or the fluid volume occupied by the fluid in the fluid container. The fill level in the fluid container can be determined by a fill level determination device which includes for example at least one sensor.
Fluid in the fluid container can assume various physical states depending on the prevailing ambient conditions. For example, the fluid may freeze. To still be able to withdraw fluid from the fluid container, a heating device is provided so as to heat the fluid container and the contained fluid in order to thaw frozen fluid for subsequent withdrawal. The heating device can be operated at full capacity, when an ambient temperature drops below the freezing point of the fluid.
When thawing frozen fluid with the assistance of the heating device, a pocket of liquid fluid is formed which is fully trapped or at least trapped in part by surrounding frozen fluid. When now withdrawing fluid from the fluid container, especially from the fluid pocket, a cavity forms in the fluid pocket so that the fluid pocket then contains both liquid fluid and an air void. This is disadvantageous because air formed in the cavity represents a thermal insulator which complicates or even completely prevents melting of frozen fluid adjacent to the cavity.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved method of operating a fluid container arrangement to obviate prior art shortcomings and to enable reliable withdrawal of fluid while yet keeping energy consumption of a heating device to a minimum.